Understandability, actionability and suitability of educational videos on dietary management for hypertension

Background: Educational video is a productive means to advocate lifestyle modifications such as changes in the dietary routine. This study assesses the understandability, actionability and suitability of newly developed educational videos aimed at encouraging dietary adjustments among hypertension patients. Method: In all, 183 participants were recruited via convenience sampling and rated the understandability, actionability and suitability of the videos using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audio-Visual material (PEMAT-A/V) and the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) scale. Results: Eleven videos were developed from five main topics related to the dietary management of hypertension. Participants agreed that all videos were highly understandable, actionable and suitable for use as educational tools, with scores of more than 85%, 89% and 80%, respectively. Conclusion/Implications: Overall, the newly developed videos gained high scores for understandability, actionability and suitability. This finding reflects positive acceptance of the videos among various healthcare professionals and patients with hypertension.

Evaluation of a Scenario-Based Socratic Style of Teaching and Learning Practice

This chapter presents the central features of a knowledge-based system, evaluation method, which is deeply rooted to the principle of the Socratic style learning in law school. Software system evaluation is placed in the context of a hybrid legal intelligent tutoring system, Guidance for Business Merger and Acquisition (GBMA) process. The legal knowledge for GBMA is presented in two forms, as rules and previously decided cases. Besides distinguishing the two different forms of knowledge representation, the chapter outlines the actual use of these forms in a computational framework designed to generate a plausible solution for a given case by using rule-based reasoning (RBR) and case-based reasoning (CBR) in an integrated environment. The nature of the suitability assessment of a solution has been considered as a multiple-criteria decision-making process in GBMA evaluation. The evaluation was performed by a combination of discussions and questionnaires with different user groups in a scenario-based teaching and learning practice.

Readability and Suitability Assessment of university students Educational Materials in Preventing Smoking

Background: Educational materials are frequently used by health care providers to inform university students and young people about smoking and the health risks of smoking. However, little attention has been paid to the readability and suitability of these educational materials. Objectives: The study aimed to determine the readability and suitability of educational materials in preventing smoking for university students. Methods: Multiple instructional materials and books were used for the design and preparation of educational materials and were then tailored to the target group. Readability was measured by using the readability assessment of materials (RAM); and suitability was determined by the suitability assessment of materials (SAM) that considers characteristics such as content, graphics, layout/topography, and cultural appropriateness. Twenty reviewers, including 15 students and 5 health specialists scored the educational materials. Results: The mean readability score _ standard deviation(SD) of the educational materials was 8±1.6, 9±1.5 and 10±1.7, for the booklet, the pamphlet of the skill of saying no, smoking pamphlet and quitting it , respectively, which were increased to 15±1.4, 16 ±1.7and 17±0.8, after tailoring the content. The average SAM scores before and after tailoring the content were 45% for the booklet, which was increased to 88% and 75% for the pamphlet of the skill of saying no, which was increased to 93% and 79%for the smoking pamphlet and quitting it ,which was increased to 95%.The increase in all scores was significant (p< 0.01).The final tailored educational material was rated “superior media” on the SAM ratings. Conclusions: Given that most of the printed materials are suitable for people with higher education levels, health providers are strongly advised to prepare simple and understandable education materials that may increase the likelihood of consumer perception and recall.

Suitability assessment for oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) and coconut (Cocus nucifera) cultivation in coastal plain sands of South Southern Nigeria

Some soils of coastal plain sands in South Southern Nigeria were assessed for oil palm and coconut cultivation. This research was carried out to evaluate the soils of the study area using rigid grid soil survey methodology at detailed scale. The study area (128.11 ha) was delineated into four soil mapping units based on soil type. A pedon was sunk in each mapping unit and described according to FAO. Three soil orders, including Entisols (Ahiara), Inceptisols (Kulfo) and Ultisols (Orlu), were identified. Parametric and limitation methods of land suitability evaluation were used. Major limitations to assessment were climate (mean annual temperatures) and soil physical properties (texture/structure). Aggregate suitability rating (both actual and potential) showed that Ultisols (pedons 3 and 4, covering 56.73 ha) was moderately suitable (S2) for coconut and marginally suitable (S3) for oil palm, Inceptisols (pedon 2, covering 54.25 ha) was marginally suitable (S3) for coconut but not suitable (NS) for oil palm, and Entisols (Pedon 1covering 17.13 ha) was not suitable (NS) for any of the crops. Thus, area with Entisols should not be used for cultivation of any of the crops due to major limitation in texture. Moreover, both assessment approaches captured the major limitations. Therefore, the use of any of the approaches employed in this study and for these crops becomes a matter of choice as both of them showed no major differences in the application of their procedures.

Land suitability assessment in climate change and sea level rise conditions in Thai Binh provincewith GIS-ALES integration model

Land suitability assessment is the scientific basis for rational land use planning. This assessment process relates to natural soil conditions (soil, topography, climate, hydrology, etc.). However, these factors are being changed due to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, especially in coastal areas (saline intrusion, inundation), which should be included in the assessment. The results of applying the integrated GIS-ALES model for land suitability assessment in climate change and sea level rise in Thai Binh province, showed that the very suitable (S1) and suitable (S2) land area for rice cultivation, aquaculture, crops, and perennial crops (mainly fruit trees) were 92,818.5 ha, 34,518.6 ha, 27,424.9 ha, and 13,104.1 ha respectively. The spatial distribution of the appropriate grades was also shown on a 1/50,000 scale map. The results of this study help to orient planning the rational use of agricultural land for Thai Binh province.